OyChicago blog

“I’m not eating carbs this week, I feel so fat,” says your friend who is – by most definitions – skinny. And you want to scream, because there are people who really need to lose weight and can’t.

Well, one of the reasons that skinny friend can’t lose that last five pounds is the same reason the guy that needs to lose 30 can’t do it – stress. I’m not going to talk like an infomercial touting some wonder pill that blocks cortisol (stress hormone), but I do believe in the cheesy line that’s also a book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.”

If you want to have success in wellness, peace of mind helps, and sometimes comes in the form of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. They are amazing, even better a cookie from Specialty’s Bakery Shop, or the fried goodness of a Donut Vault Donut.

I know these are not the words a personal trainer is supposed to utter. The truth is trainers LOVE treats. Some bury that love so deep inside their rock hard core, that they miss out on an amazing, decadent, delicious life. And that is no way to live.

I’m not suggesting you splurge daily on a brownie, but once in a while you should have a cupcake. Maybe don’t eat the entire bag of brownie bites, but have one. Here’s a very typical situation for someone trying to lose weight:

1) Avoids the cookie they want
2) Eats too much fruit and rice cakes instead of eating cookie
3) Ends up eating the cookie anyway

This cycle is unhealthy for your psyche. Treat yourself occasionally. If you are craving a cookie, split one with a friend. If all you want in life is ice cream, go and buy one scoop in a cup, rather than a whole pint from the grocery store when you know you’re the one who will finish it. The same thing goes for fries: have a fry if you want one – just don’t eat the entire serving, which is usually way too many. I am lucky, I usually do not order fries but my wife always does, so I can always have a few but know I won’t gorge on the salty fried fun food.

The more you stress about every bite, the less you enjoy life, and depression and weight gain go hand and hand. Don’t use me as your excuse to eat a dozen Munchkins from Dunkin Donuts, but one is fine. And for the love of G-d don’t talk about it 24/7. It’s not healthy to worry about your weight all the time and lie about how you don’t even like chocolate and carbs. Make smart eating decisions 85 percent of the time, exercise most days, and the weight will gradually fall off.